West Houston Medical Center CEO Todd Caliva, second from right, checks in with staff members in the emergency department. From left are Bubba Alford, Ken Wall, IJ Okoro, Mario Lopez and Stephanie Ross.

Photo: Gary Fountain, Freelance

West Houston Medical Center CEO Todd Caliva, second from right,...

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((For the Chronicle/Gary Fountain, October 11, 2012) West Houston Medical Center CEO Todd Caliva, "making the rounds" and talking with staff in the emergency department. Pictured are, Ken Wall, from left, Bubba Alford, IJ Okoro, Mario Lopez, and CEO Todd Caliva. West Houston Medical Center received a special award for communications between the company and employees.They are discussing new areas of the emergency department that have been opened to address the growing demand for emergency services in the community.

Photo: Gary Fountain, Freelance

((For the Chronicle/Gary Fountain, October 11, 2012) West Houston...

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((For the Chronicle/Gary Fountain, October 11, 2012) West Houston Medical Center CEO Todd Caliva, "making the rounds" and talking with staff in the Cardiac Cath Lab. Pictured are, CEO Todd Caliva, from left, Pattie Horadam, Rendy Shaw, Nakia Talbert, and Nichole Gardner. They are discussing the process of taking care of patients who are having an acute myocardial infarction.

Q: What is the importance of good communication in a medical facility?

A: Effective communication is vital to a patient-first mentality. I want all of our employees to be aware of what is going on, to understand what our goals are and how we are doing as a company, and what's important to us. It makes an impact on our culture. When you have strong culture in a health-care organization, turnover is a lot lower and patients benefit the most.

Q: How does West Houston Medical foster good communications?

A: First, I send out a mass email thought for the day every morning to all of our employees - inspirational quotes - so that they hear from me and know I am aware of what they do every day. We have an employee advisory group that meets every month, and every department has a representative in that group. If you have an issue you think we need to address, you bring it to the employee advisory group. We have an open-door policy. We do have a chain of command, but every employee knows that if they don't think they've gotten an adequate response, they can go all the way up to me. The other piece, from a communication standpoint, is a commitment to have town hall meetings every quarter with all of our colleagues.

Q: So you are using communications to build a sense of family?

A: The thing that sets health care apart is that it can be very emotional. It's the most rewarding career because you make a difference in people's lives every day. It can also be very emotional when you see people who just got news that they have cancer. You have to work side by side with people who share your values and in whom you can confide and who truly support you like family away from family.

Q: You have monthly employee parties and celebrations. Why?

A: It builds our morale, and it lets people celebrate the great things we are doing, and most importantly, lets them feel appreciated because what they do every day is hard work. We work hard, but we play hard and take time to smell the roses.